Far Away
by The All-Seeing Sharingan
Summary: [SasuSaku]Three years after Sasuke left to join Orochimaru, Naruto has fulfilled his promise to Sakura and brought him back. But now what does he feel for Sakura, the girl who would have given it all up just to be by his side? [Oneshot]


1_Author's Note_: Yes, I know I'm in the middle of another fanfic right now, but I felt the need to write this songfic. Another Sasuke x Sakura fluff-fest. (Shocking, I know.) You don't like it, tough. Don't read it.

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

_Song lyrics_

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Far Away

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Four years. That was how long it had been since he had truly gotten to know her. And he had been away for three of those years, away from his village, from his former friends, and from her. Leaving her behind had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do, but as far as he saw it, he didn't have a choice.

"_If you can't stay, then at least take me with you!"_

Her voice rang in his head, full of tears and longing, begging for him to stay with her. But he couldn't. The Uchiha avenger had a goal, and he would have done anything to reach it. Until now.

"Almost there now, Sasuke."

The blonde ninja walking beside him spoke for the first time in more than two hours, bringing Sasuke out of his thoughts. The tension between Sasuke and his old friend was overwhelming, and neither liked it at all. But Sasuke couldn't do anything about it right now. He was having trouble thinking straight as it was.

"Aa. I know."

He didn't look at Naruto as he replied, but kept his cold black eyes on the path ahead of them.

"So..." Naruto wasn't quite sure what to say to the boy he had come to think of as his brother, but the silence was more than he could bear. "Itachi's dead, then?"

Sasuke's expression hardened. "Iie."

The blue-eyed ninja looked over at the Uchiha, shocked. Hadn't that been the whole reason Sasuke left in the first place?

"Oh..." Naruto fell silent. This was obviously still a very sensitive subject with Sasuke.

"I couldn't do it. That would have made me just like him, and I won't be like Itachi. I'm not from the same mold as he is. I am not my brother."

A small smile crept over Naruto's face. So, Sasuke still had a heart, after all.

"Naruto...Tell me something." Sasuke was suddenly somewhat quiet, almost as though he was afraid to ask what he wanted to.

"What's that?" Naruto was sure he already knew what Sasuke wanted to know.

"Sakura...has she...moved on? Is there someone else now?"

He had been right. That was exactly what he had thought Sasuke would say.

"No. She's never forgotten you, and she's never been able to be with anyone else. She says she's not sad about it anymore, but I know better. I've passed by her place on my way to Hinata's house, and I've heard her crying and whispering your name."

"I see..." Guilt started to wrap itself around Sasuke's heart. Knowing that he had caused Sakura such pain hurt. A lot. But he still couldn't admit that to Naruto, though he was sure the other boy already knew.

_This time, this place,  
Misused, mistakes_._  
Too long, too late,  
Who was I to make you wait?_

"_I hope_..._she can forgive me_," Sasuke thought, making a mental note to seek out Sakura as soon as he returned.

"The Fifth is going to want to see you later, Sasuke. You know that, right?" A note of concern could be found in Naruto's voice. He wasn't sure exactly what Tsunade-hime would want to talk to Sasuke about, but he knew it would involve a lot of questioning and even more harsh words.

"Hai. But there's something I need to do first."

Naruto smiled. So, Sasuke had fallen for Sakura in his long absence. Good. Sakura would be happy to find out about that. Of course, there would be a lot of tears on her side. She had missed Sasuke every day since he had left her behind. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if she threw herself into Sasuke's arms and refused to let him go for a few hours. Heck, it wouldn't surprise him if she stayed by his side for _days_. Or the rest of her life.

_That's a nice thought,_ Naruto told himself, though he knew that Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't be thinking of marriage at this stage in their lives. They were only sixteen, after all.

The two boys walked through Konoha's main gate and turned to face each other, neither one quite sure what to say to the other.

Sasuke was the one to break the silence. "Naruto...thank you. For not giving up on me, when everyone else had."

Naruto smiled his foxish smile and raised his fist to Sasuke. "I couldn't give up on you, Sasuke. I made a promise to Sakura-chan, and you know that I never go back on my word, because that's-"

"Your shinobi way. Yeah." Sasuke punched his fist into Naruto's in the classic "best friends" gesture, and turned away, looking over his shoulder. "Y'know...I missed hanging around you, as well..._dobe_." With this, Sasuke walked away, going in the direction of Sakura's house. Naruto grinned and headed the other way, towards the Ichiraku Ramen shop, where he was meeting Hinata for dinner that night.

According to Naruto, Sakura was home on her own for a few days, a bit of a relief for Sasuke. He didn't want to have to face her parents before he talked to her.

At her door, he took a deep breath, his hand hovering over the door, unable to bring himself to knock.

"_Please,"_ he prayed, _"let her forgive me_."

_Just one chance,  
Just one breath,  
Just in case there's just one left_.

_'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

He forced himself to knock, silently praying that she would answer the door and not just ignore it. But why would she? She couldn't possibly know that he was the one at the door, right?

He froze up when he heard the door being unlocked, and despite his desperate attempts to calm down, he couldn't regulate his breathing.

And then, in the doorway, there she was. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing, but almost immediately, her eyes widened at what she saw before her.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

His heart began to race. Just hearing her say his name made him feel so strange.

"Hai. It's me."

Sakura just stood there for a moment, and then, remembering her manners, said, "Would you like to come in?"

"_So far, so good,"_ he thought, and stepped through the doorway into her house when she moved aside to allow him passage.

"_I can't believe it_..._Sasuke-kun actually came back_..." Sakura couldn't stop her mind from going a mile a minute. How long ago had he gotten back? Would he stay this time? Why had he come to her house?

It was then that she noticed she was shaking, and no matter what she did, she couldn't stop. She sank down onto the couch and invited him to join her, which, to her surprise, he did.

"_Could it be that Sasuke-kun_..._has fallen in love with me, and that's why he's here? Yeah right_._ Wishful thinking, Sakura, nothing more_."

_I love you,  
And I've loved you all along_._  
And I miss you,  
Been far away for far too long_.

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me,  
And you'll never go_._  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_.

"Sasuke-kun...When did you get back? And...why did you come here?"

"I got back about five minutes ago," he told her, pretending he hadn't heard her second question.

Sakura looked down at the carpet, her heartbeat refusing to slow down. "_He came here first? Maybe then_..." She realized then that he hadn't answered her second question. "Sasuke-kun, you only answered one question," she told him timidly, almost afraid of the answer.

"I know...I'm not sure if I can answer the other one." For the first time, Sasuke felt vulnerable. He was sure that he couldn't admit the reason he had come, and he knew that she would get the wrong idea if he didn't tell her. Either way, he couldn't win.

"I see..." Tears started to well up in Sakura's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She may have lost the boy she loved, and she may have lost the little respect he may have had for her, but damnit, she still had her pride!

"Naruto tells me that you haven't found anyone else." Sasuke chose his words carefully. He couldn't stand to see those jade orbs spill over with tears again, and if he was the cause of it, it would be too much for him to handle.

_On my knees, I'll ask,  
Last chance for one last dance_._  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand.  
I'd give it all,I'd give for us_.

_Give anything but I won't give up_._  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know  
_

"He did?" Sakura was beginning to choke up. She couldn't keep from crying for much longer.

"Hai. And you know..." Sasuke paused, placing his hand on Sakura's own hand, which was resting in her lap. She quickly turned her gaze to him, unable to believe that _Uchiha Sasuke_ was holding her hand.

"I'm glad you waited for me. Because if you hadn't...I don't know how I would be able to live with the knowledge that I had lost you."

Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away from the boy beside her, though at the moment, she really didn't want to. The pink-haired kunoichi scanned his face for any sign of a lie, and could find none.

"Sasuke-kun...are you saying-"

"Yes, Sakura." He smiled softly, and uttered the words she had waited so long to hear.

"I love you."

_  
I love you,  
And I've loved you all along_._  
And I miss you,  
Been far away for far too long_._  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me,  
And you'll never go_._  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_.

She couldn't help it. She started crying. The silent tears turned to sobs, her shoulders shaking as Sasuke took her into his arms.

"Sasuke-kun...I never-I didn't think-" She knew she wasn't making any sense, but she couldn't stop herself.

"It's alright. I know. You don't have to say it," Sasuke whispered, stroking Sakura's hair as he held her. Now that he was here with her, he never wanted to let her go again.

"I'm here to stay. I'll never leave you again. I promise."

Sakura buried her face in Sasuke's shoulder, the tears refusing to stop.

"I only ask that you try to find it in your heart to forgive me for all the pain I've caused you. If you can't-"

Sakura silenced him, speaking over his voice with her own shaking one. "I forgave you a long time ago, Sasuke-kun."

_I wanted  
I wanted you to stay_._  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you_._  
And I've loved you all along_._  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long_._  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you any more_._  
Believe it_._  
_

"I should probably go, Sakura. The Godaime wants to see me." Sasuke reluctantly removed his arms from her waist and tried to pull away from the girl who had wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but Sakura gave him such a look that he couldn't bring himself to move. "Stay with me...just a little longer, please!" She was practically begging, tears threatening to spill over again, as though she was terrified that he would leave her alone again.

Sasuke settled himself back onto the couch, holding Sakura even closer than before as she rested her head on his chest. He knew he would likely be here for a while, but he didn't mind. Being here with Sakura was all he wanted to do right now. There was nowhere else he would rather be than right here with the girl who had stolen his heart.

_Hold on to me and never let me go_._  
Keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you any more_.

Sakura's heartbeat had slowed now. She wasn't hyperventilating anymore either, something she was thankful for. Her mind began to dull as tiredness washed over her like a wave. Sasuke watched as Sakura's eyelids slid closed and she adjusted herself to remain lightly rested against him, her arm draped over his body, as if it were an attempt to keep him from leaving her alone again.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, placing a feather-light kiss on her lips as she drifted into dreams. And soon, Sasuke, tightening his hold on his love, joined her in sleep, one last sentence leaving his lips.

"Thank you for saving me from the darkness..."

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_Author's Note_: This is my new favourite of my works, all the way. It took about two and a half to three hours to write, so I hope you enjoyed it. The song used is Nickelback's Far Away, a song that Kai has recently gotten me obsessed with. While listening to it tonight, I got the inspiration to write a songfic with it, so I wrote this. And d'you see that little button down there? Yes, you know the one. Just give it a little click and make this author a very happy person.


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